Bioethanol Production From High Sugary Corn Genotypes by Decreasing Enzyme Consumption

This is a PhD proposal defended in a 2012-2013 session at the Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Malaysia. The proposal has been written in accordance with the requirements of the university under the sub-headings: background, problem statement, rationale, hypothesis and research questions, research objectives, literature review, methodology, scope, expected outcomes and concluding remarks, work schedule, and references. This proposal provides a comprehensive study on bioethanol production from corn. First, it discusses development and field experiments of high sugary genotypes (HSGs). Secondly, it provides a comparative evaluation of enzyme consumptions and ethanol production between normal and HSG corn genotypes. Finally, this proposal provides evaluation of the co-product quality for both groups of genotypes. The readers who are interested to conduct any further study on corn-based bioethanol would be benefited from this proposal.

Designing a PhD Proposal in Mixed Method Research

This chapter reviews the challenges and advantages of writing a mixed method research (MMR) proposal. The argument put forward is that a mixed method approach overcomes the shortcomings of the commonly used qualitative and quantitative methods. A brief definition of a research proposal is followed by a discussion on the different interpretations of a mixed method and what makes mixed methods ideal in the proposal example that follows. A mixed method can be either one that utilizes qualitative and quantitative methods to different degrees or it can be regarded as a distinct method by itself. A mixed method is suitable where both different types of data can be collected, when the data adds value to what would be achieved using one approach and where cost also justifies it. A hypothetical case example where an application is being made to conduct an evaluation of an anti-truancy program is presented.

Negotiation With Gender Norms and Relations at the Workplace

This is a research proposal of a PhD study under the Department of Gender Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Malaysia. In broader perspective, the proposal covers the issue of women's empowerment through the rapid employment of poor women in the ready-made garment industries in Bangladesh. The proposal has been written as the requirement for the PhD students at the University of Malaya. The writing contains fundamental components of a research proposal: study background, problem statement, research objectives, significance of the research, literature review on concepts and theoretical framework, research methodology, and a gantt chart showing the research's time schedule. The study will follow a qualitative research method including in-depth interview, focus group discussion, and factory visit as data collection tools. This chapter will be a useful guideline to the students and researchers who are interested in qualitative research approach in this particular field.

Land Rights of Indigenous People

This chapter is based on the PhD proposal drafted as per the requirements of the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya. Following the guidelines, first, the proposal has mirrored the background of the issue and then focused on the actual problem commonly faced by the victims. Secondly, it traces the research questions and sets the goal that the research aims to achieve. Therefore, to justify the research, a logical expression behind the study has been provided which has been followed up by a brief literature review discussing the conceptual and theoretical framework of the research. Thereafter, it includes the methodology to be followed by the researcher to achieve the aims set earlier. Finally, it explores the scope of the research showing that in spite of so many limitations the present study can stand as a potential source to ensure the land rights of indigenous communities of Bangladesh.

Usage of Social Capital Among Migrant Workers for Their Livelihoods in Malaysia

This chapter deliberates a PhD proposal of the first author based on a mixed method approach conducted at the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Malaysia. This proposal has been written with the requirement of a PhD proposal at the University of Malaya. This proposal includes the main components of a research proposal that includes the study background, literature review: conceptual and theoretical framework, research questions and objectives, statement of the research problem, significance of study, research methodology, and the time plan with the main tasks into a Gantt chart. This study will examine how social capital brings positive changes among the migrant workers' livelihoods. Here, social capital is a powerful tool that helps to make bridge through social networking, social trust, collective actions, sharing knowledge, and experiences in the livelihoods of the migrant workers. This chapter will be useful who are interested to conduct their study with a mixed method approach on this particular field.

Designing a PhD Proposal in Quantitative Research

Research is only as good as one's proposal. It is found to be a more challenging job to guide for preparing research proposal than general project proposal and sometimes less formal as well. Some even argue that to implement the quantitative research accordingly, sufficient details should warrant a good research proposal. This chapter is aimed to propose a simple guideline for writing a research proposal designing in a quantitative research. In addition, it will help professional or academic researchers to develop good scientific research proposals for quantitative research design.

Community-Based Rehabilitation Program for Acid Assault Victims of Bangladesh

This chapter is a PhD research proposal of the first author based on qualitative research design. The study aims at exploring some community-based rehabilitation interventions for the acid victims (women) in Bangladesh. The proposal was submitted by the first author to pursue her PhD studies at the Department of Social Administration and Justice, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Malaysia. It contains major components of a research proposal that includes the background of the study, problem statement, research questions and objectives, literature review: conceptual and theoretical framework, the scope and significance of the study, and research methodology. This proposal also includes the work plan of the study. The proposal will be helpful to the students and readers who are interested in conducting research in this field.

Economic and Social Wellbeing of the Bangladeshi Migrant Workers in Malaysia

This is a doctoral thesis proposal based on a mixed methods approach submitted to the Department of Southeast Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This proposal was written to fulfill the requirement of a doctoral candidate studying at the University of Malaya. This proposal comprises several main components of a reasonably good research proposal with the following headings: Background of the study, Statement of the problem, Research questions, Research objectives, Significance of study Literature review, Conceptual and theoretical framework, and Research methodology. This proposal also incorporates the plan of study displayed in the form of Gantt chart. This study explores the economic and social well-being of the Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia. This sample proposal would be useful to postgraduate students and researchers who are planning to conduct their research in this particular area.

Community Empowerment Initiatives of Faith-Based NGOs

This chapter has been prepared for pursuing the first author's PhD study. It contains the basic components of a research proposal such as the background of the study, statement of the problem, research questions, objectives, scope, study significance, methodology, and the literature review including conceptual and theoretical framework, etc. The proposal found that the immediate response to humanitarian crisis, healthcare, the importance of values and cultural context in the operation area have made faith-based non-governmental organizations (FBNGOs) as a vital stakeholder in development. However, there is still a debate about the claim of having the advantage of FBNGOs in development intervention. Based on this proposal, the study is being conducted on an international FBNGO, working in Bangladesh, to investigate its community empowerment initiatives. The proposal could be a practical guideline for the academicians who are interested in studying the contribution of NGOs' in development discourse.

Indigenous knowledge and Globalization in Bangladesh

This is an example of a PhD proposal based on a qualitative case study. This PhD proposal was completed by the author at the UNESCO Centre for Comparative Education and Research, Faculty of Education, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. This proposal describes the main elements of a research proposal. First, it provides a background and introduction of the proposal, and then discusses research problem, objectives and research question, significance of the study, conceptual and theoretical aspect. Finally, this proposal outlines the methodology of the study briefly. The proposal also includes a long list of the references used in the study. This will help the students to understand the qualitative study.